Former Canadian Landfill to Recycle Materials and Serve as Pollinator Habitat

An old landfill in Niagara, Ontario, is the site of a new initiative by company Walker Environmental to serve as a collection point for materials such as waste wood and shingles. Walker is also exploring crops that can be planted on top of the landfill, for creating livestock feed. Work will also include removing invasive plant species and planting species that will be ideal for pollinating and nesting.

The project is in partnership with the Ontario Waste Management Association and Niagara College.

Mike Watt, executive vice-president of Walker Environmental, said there is still some landfill capacity in that section of the landfill but most of the 150 acres is now closed and capped.

“You’ve got lots of space to do all kinds of things,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity.”

The company has launched a new initiative to use the site as a collection point for materials such as waste wood from pallets or railway ties that can be ground up and used for energy production or combined with clay from construction sites and compost to create manufactured soils.

Old shingles will also be collected there and ground up. Watt said Walker is exploring ways to have that turned into asphalt that can be reused for road construction.

The wood can also be used for burning for energy, replacing coal in kilns and coke ovens at places such as steel mills in Hamilton, said Watt. While wood also produces greenhouse gases, unlike dirty coal or even cleaner natural gas it’s a renewable resource, he said.